Metal protector for footwear



June 18, 1940. w rr 2,205,073

METAL PROTECTOR FOR FOOTWEAR Filed Feb. 24, 1938 '1 r 1 "wanna I, I

Eve/11271".

\A/ILLIFIM SMIT Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECEWilliam Smit, Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa Application February24, 1938, Serial No. 192,218 In South Africa March 16, 1937 1 Claim.

This invention relates to metal protectors for heavy boots such as thoseworn by men working in mines or on rough ground.

When such protectors are formed of steel they frequently become polisheddue to wear and to that extent may be dangerous in use. A protector madeof some other metal may be softer and therefore not so slippery in usebut is likely to be heavy. When made in metal of low spelu cific gravityand the weight thereby reduced, the armouring is inclined to be soft andto wear away too rapidly.

It is the object of the present invention to improve boot protectorsmade of light and some- 151 what soft metal by hardening the studs, barsor other projections forming the tread and wearing surfaces of theprotecting armour.

Armouring according to this invention may be formed in any convenientmanner but usually and as described and illustrated in thisspecification it is cast in an aluminium alloy, and some or all of thestuds or bars on the tread are reinforced with a core or cores of hardermaterial such as iron or steel.

The invention is illustrated in accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1is a side elevation of the complete armouring for a boot, which latteris shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the upturned sole of a boot fitted with armouraccording to this invention.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 but viewed from the top.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on 4-4 Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on 5--5 Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on 6-6 Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on line 1-! Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section of one of 4 the studs, showing thereinforcing, and

Fig. 9 is a similar View to Fig. 8 but in which the reinforcing of thestud is made from a tube or ring.

In the drawing the armour is shown in three parts, Ill, H, l2; Ill beingthe front piece slipped over the sole from the front. As shown in thedrawing the parts are each provided with box like channels l3 adapted tofit over the sole Id of the boot, the shoulders l5 engaging the uppersurface of the sole. The toe cap I 6 is cast integral with the body 10.

II is a plate slipped over the waist 11 of the boot and pushed upagainst the armouring I 0, as shown; whilst I2 is the heel armour. Theheel itself l5 may be part of the boot or a packing-piece fitted intothe armouring l2. The heel armour I2 embodies the heel protector IS.

The armourings may be secured in position by rivets or screws 20. Thestuds 2| and bars 22 are, according to this invention, reinforced bycores 23.

The armourings may be strengthened as by bridges 24 between projections2!. When desired said bridges between projections may be multiplieduntil the tread takes a form somewhat resembling a honeycomb.

In the drawing the cores are shown as short pieces of iron or steelcylinders 23 around which the aluminium alloy metal has been cast.

In the course of manufacture these reinforcing pieces 23 may be held inthe moulds, when casting, in any desired manner.

For instance they may be formed from bars nicked or turned down at thenecessary distances to allow them to be broken off near to the castingafter they have been cast in place; or they may be solid cylindersmagnetised so as to hold together to form a bar, or they may be held inplace in the mould by magnetic attraction. Again they may be steel tubesor rings 25, of the desired dimensions and hardness, which may be heldin place in the mould by suitable projections traversing or enteringinto the core of the tube.

In another form the reinforcing may be accomplished by inserting thehard cores by tapping and screwing them in position or by driving thecores as pegs into cored or drilled holes in the armour.

Again the projections may be provided with holes filled with anysuitable hard plastic or cement-like material; or in some cases theholes may be left open so that the sand and stone walked upon may bepicked up in the holes to form the desired reinforcing.

In some cases the hardening material may be provided simultaneously withthe original casting by first pouring into the mould a material of therequired hardness to act as the wearing surface and thereafter castingthe body of the armour over the first poured metal to unite with thesame.

In certain parts of the armour, where execs sive wear is apt to takeplace, the reinforcing materials may take the form of steel speciallyhardened.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

As an article of manufacture, an over-sole for boots comprising abox-like shape of lightweight metal adapted to fit over the sole of theboot and having side pieces protecting the sides 01' the sole and aninwardly projecting flange for engaging the top edge of the sole, theoversole being divided transversely of its length and the forward endprovided with a toe-cap, and a rearward portion shaped to fit the heelof the boot, the bottom surface of all the parts being provided withprojections forming a wearing surface said projections having metalcores of harder metal than the body of the armouring and the projectionsthereon, such metal cores being flush with the wearing surface of theprojections.

WILLIAM SMIT.

